The Impact Of The Employee Free Choice Act

In labor as in all things there is strength in numbers it is this strength that American labor unions provide. Labor unions provide a collective voice for those who had not previously been heard. As the professor in the “Frustrated Labor Historian” Dr. Horace P. Karastan is left with the dilemma what are the three most important events in American labor union history it would be difficult to choose with so many important moments. There are however several events that stand out as being turning points in giving employees unquestionable protections. The Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 allowing employees the right to organize. Further the Wagner Act protecting employees from reprisal from employers for organizing spurring the growth of unionization. The Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959 building on the Wagner Act as well as the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947 which granted protections from the unions. It is these Acts that have changed the landscape of American labor union history and leave us with the unions that we have today.

The Employee Free Choice Act has three bills. The first bill allowed a union to be certified as the official union to bargain with an employer, only if the union is capable to get the signatures of the majority of workers It would have eliminate the present right of the employer to demand an additional, separate ballot when more than half of employees have given their signature supporting the union. Second, the bill would have required employers and unions to enter binding arbitration to produce a collective agreement at least 120 days after a union us recognized. Third, the bill would have increased penalties on employers who segregate against workers for union involvement. According to research, the Employer Free Choice Act did not acquired the needed momentum to pass in congress and unfortunately was not supported by major players in the Democratic party. However, president Obama supports the act. In a labor federation meeting on April, 2008 president Obama stated that he stands up to the business lobby, that he have fought to pass the Employee Free Choice Act in the Senate, and that he will make it the law of the united States of America

The Employee Free Choice Act, also known as “union authorization cards”, will allow workers to unionize

The Taft-Hartley Act was passed in 1947 to protect the employee’s rights from the union and their unfair practices ("1947 Taft-Hartley Substantive Provisions | NLRB," n.d). The ACT changed the language of the Wagner ACT, to protect the employees who did not want to participate in union activities but they were required to become a member as one of the conditions when they were hired ("1947 Taft-Hartley Substantive Provisions | NLRB," n.d.). Another change made to protect the employees was stopping the union from overcharging the dues and fees. The amendment also noted that unions had an obligation to all members to bargain in good faith ("1947 Taft-Hartley Substantive Provisions | NLRB," n.d.).

When an employee begins a new job, before he/she can begin, the employee is handed a number of important documents containing their rights and responsibilities for the job. The same can be said of a collective bargaining agreement. An employee cannot expect a union representative to voice their concerns without having full knowledge as to the inner workings of the legal system that may or may not be able to protect them.

This document investigates the proposed amendments in the Fair Work Amendment Bill 2014 (Cth) as approved by the Senate’s Education and Employment Legislation Committee in June 2014 (EELC 2014). Specifically, it investigates four key amendments relating to Greenfields Agreements:

The law gives individuals an opportunity to join a union or not. This laws allows us to another opprounity of freedom. For those that do want to join in a union will have the right to do so. Once that does happen, workers then can encourgae other workers to become a member as well. It also help the workforce to be a better “comminity” as well. This is a healthy way for union members to negotiate better with employers( non union members) regarding thier duties, wages, and equality.

This Paper is a systematic review of articles relating to labor unions and how they affect the workplace. Labor unions are becoming a part of the past workforce as we move forward into the modern workforce and the right to work laws. In general the literature pointed to many different benefits of having a unionized workforce. These benefits are on both sides of the line, employees and employers. These benefits can range from group bargaining during contracts, protective action when to come to discipline, and overall organization for employees. On the employers side the union brings organization when it comes to discipline, and gives direction when it comes to policies and procedures.

According to the United States Department of Labor, which has evolved tremendously to complement the ever evolving century, discusses major points that have effected the rights of employees. “Limits on drug testing; freedom from discrimination when an employee is part of a

The Fair Labor Standards Act requires employers of hourly employees to pay a minimum amount of salary to each employee. This prevents employees from being underpaid for a position. This act also requires employers to pay more per hour to employees who work an excess of 40 hours per week. While this act primarily protects employees it also works as a checks and balances system for employers by forcing companies to budget wisely, hire employees according to their needs, and supervise employees appropriately. Would you rather hire an additional employee or pay four employees 10 hours of overtime pay each week? I would rather hire an additional employee for half the cost of 40 hours of overtime.

Current labor laws are capable of dealing with labor-management problems. There are many labor laws in the United States that govern employment policies and practices. These laws cover a variety of industries and its workers, and should not be abolished. Five important labor laws that have further clarified labor-management roles includes: Norris LaGuardia, Wagner, Taft-Hartley, Landrum-Griffin, and the Civil Service Reform Act, Title VII. Fossum (2009), states that these five laws “enables collective bargaining, regulate labor and management activities, and limit intervention by the federal courts in lawful union activities” (p89). Fossum was demonstrating how the laws brought about changes in labor management practices. These laws were mentioned because each one was significant in their ability to bring about change in labor relations through amended legislation.

Right-to-work laws are defined as state laws that prohibit union and agency shops. I support this idea because, it decreases the power that unions have. Unions are not fair to its employees and competitors. They are also made out to have more power than it really should. I fully support right-to-work laws because, it breaks the chains of employees that are trapped by the dictation of labor unions. An aspect that I do not support is, the Employee Free Choice Act because, it is controlled by unions. This act is said to make it easier for unions to organize groups of workers, but it also pressures employees to select if they want to unionize much too quickly. Employers often avoid unionization because, they believe that they are not given enough

The topic that I chose to research is, why employees join unions? The definition of a labor union is “an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members’ interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions.” (Merriam-Webster) In other words it is a group of workers that formed a group to help everyone have better working conditions and fair pay. There are many reasons why employees would want to join unions such as job security, improved working conditions, and protection from unfair treatment.

For my week three concept video I will be talking about Labor unions. Labor Unions are an organized association of workers, often in a trade or profession, formed to protect and further their rights and interests. They are legally recognized as representatives of workers in the United States. Labor Unions today generally center around wages, benefits, and working conditions for the members. Big unions also usually engage in lobbying activities and electioneering at the state and federal level. Most unions in the United States are aligned with one of two larger organizations. Either the AFL-CIO, which was created in 1955 or the Change to Win Coalition, which split from the AFL-CIO in 2005. Both advocate policies and legislation on behalf of workers in the United States and Canada, and take an active role in politics. Under the two main union organizations there are two types of unions, industrial unions, which include in a particular industry, and craft unions, which represents workers with a particular skill.

If labor laws were repealed and labor unions made illegal, employees would not be able to express their “dissatisfied with physical characteristics of the workplace, low wages, or lack of benefits and job-related conditions Walsh, 2013).” Moreover, employees who are displeased with the working condition of their working environment and condition decide to join a union (Walsh, 2013). Furthermore, a collective body of employees stating an issue gets noticed more so than a standalone employee.